its General Conference to retain its existing church policy that states “homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.” So what? Don’t attend those old dinosaur churches, you say? Fine, but what happens to an LGBTQ child born into, say, a devout Southern Baptist family? Do their spirits survive? Do their bodies? Statistically speaking, there’s a good chance that that child will not live a happy and full productive life. Toxic and dangerous relationships, a lack of self-care, homelessness, substance abuse, and even suicide often step in first.
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COMMUNITY
The Mother of All Mama Bears In Honor of Mother’s Day By KIM HOGSTROM
T
he nation’s LGBTQ citizens have enjoyed some splendid advances in the past few years. Corporations, schools, cities, and entire states have fully recognized equality as a core American value. Yet, there is one institution that remains unreasonably immovable: the church—or more specifically, fundamentalist Christian denominations (See: Mike Pence). In order to justify their brutal practice of shunning and condemning LGBTQ people, fundamentalist Christian churches must first ignore or deny the very foundation of Jesus’ teachings about love and
30 MAY 2019 | OutSmartMagazine.com
acceptance. The ensuing damage that this denial produces is immense. Not all Christian churches remain unaffirming, of course, and more are joining the enlightened camp every day. But a few major denominations cling to their views of LGBTQ folk as unwelcome, unclean, unholy sinners. Or worse. How common is LGBTQ denunciation? Isn’t it just found in only the most extreme Bible-thumping, snake-handling churches? No. In February of this year, the United Methodist Church—generally viewed as a moderate, middle-of-the-road denomination—voted at
Fortunately, there are people who are laboring to prevent the psychological damage from this kind of cruelty. “One of the first people I worked with was a gay college student,” stated Susan Cottrell. “When he came out to his deeply religious family, his parents collected his belongs, placed them in the front yard, and set the pile on fire.” What did Cottrell do to help the young man? She became his Mama Bear. Cottrell is an author and motivational speaker on the subject of loving LGBTQ children and adults within Christian traditions. She is also one of the leaders in the Mama Bear movement, an international group of mothers of LGBTQ children. These wonderful moms meet every day in secret online support groups. Together, they help one another grapple with their faith, answer questions, and learn how to best support their kids. Cotrell is a slight woman with a big heart who also has a master’s degree in theology. She has appeared on 20/20, Nightline, and Good Morning America to address the disparity between the teachings of Christ and the glaring lack of LGBTQ acceptance seen in some denominations. Notably, she is the founder of FreedHearts.org, a nonprofit agency dedicated to “freeing hearts to love and be loved.” Formerly from The Woodlands and now living in Austin, Cottrell travels around the country helping kids, families, and churches practice true Christian love for their lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer children, friends, and associates. It’s a heavy lift, but this mother of five is moving mountains. “FreedHearts.org reaches the parents of the most at-risk LGBTQ children,” Cottrell continues. “Through our vibrant Mama Bear community, we assist Christian parents to fully understand their children, reconcile faith issues, and keep their families happy, healthy, and intact.” “We also help free the hearts of LGBTQ people to heal the shame imposed by condemnation and abandonment, as well as mend internalized homophobia,” states Cottrell. ➝
